Celebrate National Caregiver Month

What is National Caregiver Month?

This is a sponsored post from One2One Network. All opinions are my own.

That is the question that went thru my mind when I first heard about National Caregiver Month. I have been a caregiver for many years and have shared some of my story before. The reason people end up as caregivers are as varied as the ones they care for. Some people go into caregiving as a profession while others wake up one morning and find themselves caring for someone they love.

I fall into the second category.. I married a seemingly healthy man who only a few years into our marriage was disabled in a car accident and during that time it was discovered he had a medical problem requiring brain surgery. I spent many nights asking God, “Why Me?” His answer was always the same, “Why NOT you!” I couldn’t argue with that and over time my role felt more natural. I began to realize that I could choose to accept it or be miserable. I have chosen to accept it.That is not to say that I always do it with a smile on my face, some days it takes all I can to keep going. On those days I remind myself of my mom who cared for my grandparents and then my great uncle (who had no children.) She never complained and would rarely ask for help. I tried my best to help her out but I know that it wasn’t as much as she needed.

The reason is often times, people are hesitant to ask for help because they don’t feel they deserve it. Other times people do not realize that they are filling the role of a caregiver. This has can lead to drastic situations because new research from AARP shows that caregivers are more at risk for health problems and well being.

The average caregiver is a women between the ages of 40-60 but that doesn’t mean they are the only caregivers. In the United States there is an estimated 42 million caregivers. They are caring for family, friends and sometimes strangers.

AARP has teamed up with the Ad Council to raise awareness about caregivers and to thank them for all they do. They have created several resources to help caregivers find assistance and allow others to thank the caregivers in their life for everything they do.

I am asking that you take a minute to check out these resources and even if they don’t apply to you, pass them along to a caregiver you know.

Don’t forget to thank a National Caregiver for their hard work and dedication.